Tea for Two
by iheartgod175
Summary: Archibald Asparagus is a rich, handsome actor who's hiding a terrifying secret. Lovey Billington is an impoverished young woman just trying to make ends meet for her dysfunctional family. When they meet at a recently opened teahouse, you can bet sparks will fly... Five-shot. AU and Archie/Lovey, with very light BoBerry. Inspired by Zarosguth's "Tea and Sweets".
1. Part I: Fated Meetings

_Foreword_

Hello, all. Nice to meet you. Or if you know me from my previous forays into Veggie Tales, hello again. The name's iheartgod175, and I've come to give you another look at one of my new stories.

This idea came about from chancing upon an anime fanfic called "Tea and Sweets", a romance fic for the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha fandom that recently caught my attention. Granted, it's a yuri (girl/girl) romance, something that I mentioned I'm not into, but the summary had me checking it out. Long story short, I was inspired to make my own version of the story for Veggie Tales, but I would twist it and make it completely different. Aside from the fact that it's Archie/Lovey (or "Archilove") with some slight Bob/Madame Blue, the characters themselves have completely different backgrounds. I took Lovey and made her into the kind, but poor, long-suffering woman who lives with her family, while Archie is the dapper, quintessential British gentleman. Madame Blueberry is the flirty teashop proprietress, and Bob is the down to earth producer of the theater company Archie works at. Their personalities are still the same, but since the background is one where Big Idea isn't around, this is an AU.

Before I start the story at all, first things come first; thank You, Father, for giving me the inspiration to write this story. I will do whatever it takes to make this story sound the way You want it to sound, and I thank You for blessing the works of my hands so that whatever I do, I am blessed. I give you the thanks and the honor, Father, in Yeshua's (Jesus') name, Amen!

Thanks to Zarosguth for the idea, and to Fizzy Starburst for the other half of the inspiration regarding the third short.

As usual, I don't own anything, but if I did, Bob/Madame Blue would be a couple. There really needs to be some more Archie/Lovey and Bob/Madame Blue in this archive, as well as Mr. Lunt/Ellen. Who knows, I might write about the last one next...

* * *

_(Lovey's POV)_

_To be honest, when I walked into The Blue Moon Teahouse, he was the last thing on my mind. Scratch that, he was the __furthest__ thing from my mind. _

_I had just come in from my former job, where I had recently gotten the pink slip. I'd worked there for three years, working on weekends and even overtime to help my starving family make ends meet. But as it turned out, the company was cutting costs, and with them, employers. I was one of the first twenty that were called. I practically forced myself to repress my tears as I walked out of the office, the crumpled up sheet in my hand._

_After receiving that bad news, I went to the one place where I knew I had a friend in this desolate world. Madame Blueberry, who was my best friend since college, always knew what to say to cheer me up. She was currently busy, as the grand opening of The Blue Moon Teahouse was today and she was in charge, being the proprietress and all. _

_When I walked inside, the first person I saw was a tall asparagus talking to Madame Blueberry. Taking an aside glance, she noticed me, and called out, "Ah, Lovey! So good to see you. I take it there wasn't a lot of work to do after all, no?"_

_I chuckled nervously at that. She was right about that, for sure._

_The taller asparagus swung around to see who Madame Blueberry was talking to, and his deep brown eyes locked on with my violet ones. For a moment in time, I found myself lost in those pools of brown that reminded me of milk chocolate. His skin was flawless, and I resisted the urge to touch it. On his right eye was a single monocle that shone in the brightly lit room. He wore a crisp white shirt which he wore under a black shirt jacket, with a red tie to finish the ensemble. He looked quite dapper and business-like in that suit._

_I had no other words to describe him other than 'handsome'._

* * *

_Iheartgod175 presents:_

***~{Tea For Two]~***

Summary: Archibald Asparagus is a classy, upstanding gentleman who is also a famous actor. Lovey is a poor, but kindhearted and generous young woman who recently lost her job. On normal circumstances, they never would have known each other, but what happens when they meet at a recently opened teahouse surprises everyone involved.

Tags: AU (alternate universe), Archie/Lovey, _very light_ BoBerry (Bob/Madame Blueberry), romance, drama, five-shot

This chapter: May 2014

Rating: T (romance, and darker themes such as crime and drug deals)

* * *

***~{Part I: Fated Meetings}~* **

"Hello," Lovey said finally, feeling highly embarrassed that she'd been staring at the asparagus.

"Hello, yourself," he replied, a teasing glint in his eye. It took all Lovey had in her to not swoon at the sound of his melodic voice. It was like music to her ears. "Would you care to join me for tea?"

Lovey perked up at this. "Oh, I'd love to, Mr. ..."

"Ah, it's Archibald. Archibald Asparagus. My friends just call me Archie for short," he said. "And you are...?"

"Lovey. Lovey Billington. It's short for Lovelace, I should mention," Lovey replied. "But all my friends and family call me Lovey for short."

"Lovelace, huh? That's a beautiful name," Archibald remarked. "And it's quite fitting, since you are a lovely lady, Miss Billington."

Lovey felt heat surge into her cheeks, and she smiled shyly at the asparagus in front of her. "Why, thank you," she giggled.

Madame Blueberry noticed how the two were acting and decided to smoothly make her way out of the dining area, heading to the kitchen. She decided to give Lovey the same order Archibald was having, as she know that Earl Grey was her favorite as well. Plus, she figured that with her gone, the two would be able to talk. So far, things were progressing well.

Lovey slid into the seat across from Archie, giving him a small, shy smile. Her heart was going about a mile a minute, and she was sure her face matched the shade of the curtains.

_Goodness. I've never been around a man this long in my life...probably because Mum and Dad were always policing around, but still. Oh, I do hope I don't make a fool of myself in front of him!_

"So, you're a friend of Madame Blueberry's, I presume," Archibald noted. "And how long have you two known each other?"

"Oh, yes. We've been friends for years, ever since middle school to be exact," she said.

This caught Archibald by surprise. "Really? Most of my so-called friends left me by that point," he answered.

Lovey giggled. "I can relate to that."

"I have two friends I've known since, oh, forever. There's this cucumber named Larry, you see. He's really quite the silly chap, but a true friend to the end, you know. The other is a tomato who's from Chicago, named Bob, and he and Larry are best friends. He's very down to earth and very serious about his job, but like Larry, he's a really nice tomato when you get to know him. Just watch his temper, though," Archie explained. "I'm quite surprised he and Larry put up with me, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I can be quite demanding and rather rude at times, especially when it comes to certain scenes in the plays we perform. One time, I got on Larry for singing an absurdly silly song in a 15th century play. That caused an incident which nearly led to me getting fired," Archie continued.

"Wait...you're an actor?"

"Only in theater, though. I have always wanted to appear on television and film, although no film company will hire me," Archibald said. "That's because most of the plays we've done aren't ones that audiences are familiar with."

"Ah...well, that does sometimes hurt a potential actor's repertoire..."

"Do you have any interest in the theater, Miss Billington?"

"I used to love watching the opera on television, and I took drama classes in high school. I even stared in a play. But to be honest, my real passion is clothes making. I love the costumes that actors get to wear, and I spent years taking sowing classes."

"Well, that's quite interesting,"Archie said.

"I always wanted to start my own clothes line, but it hasn't really taken off like I thought it would. So, that means I'm stuck in the rat race until I can break into the fashion business," Lovey replied. "Oh, and do call me Lovey, Archie."

"We barely know each other, and already you insist on using first-name basis!" Archie exclaimed.

"I feel much more comfortable with people calling me Lovey than Miss Billington. It makes me feel older than I really am," Lovey giggled.

"I see. Well, for me it was the opposite. I wanted people to call me by my full name all the time, but I gradually got accustomed to hearing people call me Archie. It has a nice...ring to it," he replied.

Madame Blueberry walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray laden with tea and sweets. After graciously accepting the food and passing the cups to Lovey, Archie decided to start up the conversation again.

"So, back to what I was going to say before you asked me to call you Lovey," Archie started, "what do you do for a living?"

Lovey looked down at the simmering teacup in her hands, a small, sad smile on her face. This was always the hard part, whenever she told a person what she really did during the day, and what her social status was like.

"Ah...you see, I'm currently out of a job," she answered.

Archibald looked up at her with a surprised expression, the teacup inches away from his mouth. "Y-You're unemployed?"

"I just got the notice not too long ago," she replied. "And this has been the fifth job I've gone through in the last few years. I was sure I was going to _keep_ it, but..."

That last sentence made Archibald practically choke on his tea. He coughed and cleared his throat, his eyes wide with shock and his mouth halfway open. Madame Blueberry sighed and shook her head remorsefully.

"Lovey, what are you going to do about that family of yours?" she said finally. "I'm sure they had something to keep you back from the position!"

"No, this time, the business actually had to cut costs, and they had to lay off some workers. I was one of the first twenty to leave," she replied.

"Goodness, that's awful," Archie replied. "Have you considered finding another job?"

"Yes. But even before I lost my job, I was looking for another one. My family, which consists of my parents, my two siblings and my uncle, all live with me. They're...well to put it kindly, they're lazy. I'm expected to be the breadwinner and to take care of them. My job wasn't paying much, so I've sent in dozens of applications to many places, hoping that they would accept, but they never called back or even left an email," she replied.

"That's to be expected, though, since the unemployment rate is still pretty high," Madame Blueberry said.

"What should I do? I don't want to face my parents and tell them that I lost yet _another _job!" Lovey exclaimed, her voice stricken with sadness.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the three started thinking about what they could do to help the lady asparagus. Her sad expression was practically tearing Archie apart. He wanted nothing more but to help and make her smile again.

_How could someone let go of someone like her? She's obviously a hard worker who's just trying to make ends meet. Why must life be so cruel to the poor people? There must be something for her to do...something..._

"I...I had no idea you were going through such hard times. Please forgive me if I was being rude," he said, his expression sympathetic. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Oh, please," she replied. "Don't trouble yourself. I'm fine, really!"

"No, it's not fine!" he exclaimed, causing more than a few heads to turn in their direction. "Miss Billington, I never ignore people who need help. Roght now, you need it," he argued. "A pretty woman like you doesn't need to work so hard to make ends meet. Lovey, let me worry about finding a job for you. You worry about taking care of your family."

"But-"

"Please," he interrupted, his expression serious. "I would hate to see you unhappy again."

Lovey stared at this handsome actor in front of her. His speech had come as such a shock to her that she didn't know what to say! She appreciated the generous offer immensely, but she didn't understand why he would do something like this for a woman he barely knew.

_And this is why I don't like people finding out about my problems. I really don't want to trouble him, but I don't want to disappoint him, either. Lord knows what my family will do when they discover this..._

Archie was standing there, waiting with bated breath to hear her answer. Before Lovey could reply, the door to the teahouse banged open as another customer walked into the shop. He was a tomato about the same size as Madame Blueberry, wearing a black beret on his head and a bowtie on his chest. His black jacket blew around wildly in the wind.

"Geez, it's freezing out there!" he breathed. When he looked up at the scene in front of him, his annoyed expression relaxed into a surprised one. "Archie! I didn't think I'd find you here. You do know that it's past break time, right?"

Archie turned to face the tomato, and his eyes shot upward with surprise as well. "Bob! Oh, I completely forgot. Mr. Russell wants us to be there as soon as possible. They're starting the auditions for our new play, and he's asked you to direct the whole thing."

"How come?" Bob asked, eyebrows arched.

"Well, it's because he's got a...previous engagement. When I asked him, he just gave me a really dirty look," Archie said.

"Sometimes, I seriously wonder if he's as legit as they say he is," Bob said. His eyes then wandered over to the blueberry standing in front of him, next to a lady asparagus with a lacy, white hat. He couldn't help but feel drawn in to her beauty, and her shy smile when she caught him looking.

"Why, hello there," Madame Blue asked. "Are you staying for tea?"

Bob blinked, and then he blushed. "U-Uh, no, unfortunately. I, uh, have some important business to attend to," he said. "B-But I'll be sure to take you up on the, uh, offer. L-Later, of course."

"You're quite the cutie, tomato," Madame Blue purred, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. "That's something I like."

The thoroughly flustered tomato barely sputtered out a reply before Archie decided to end things right then and there. He pulled out his wallet and paid for the tea in cash.

"Sorry, ladies, got to run. It was nice meeting the both of you, especially you, Lovey," he said. "Do think about what I said earlier, alright?"

Lovey nodded, her face slightly red. "A-Alright," she replied.

He smiled, and with a stammered out goodbye from Bob, the two actors left the teahouse.

The moment the door slammed shut, Madame Blueberry turned towards her friend. "He seems like the typical British gentleman," she said, "although, I'm very sure there are moments of silliness under that mask."

"Mmhmm," Lovey mentioned, picking up a leftover ladyfinger. "He is quite charming."

"The two of you would be good together," Madame Blueberry said, with a slight mischievous smile.

"What?!" Lovey shrieked, causing the few patrons to turn their heads and stare at them. "I-I mean...I barely know the man! I can't just say that I'm in love with him!"

"Well, you certainly looked like you were head over heels for him, though I can't blame you," Madame Blueberry said. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how handsome he is."

"Who are you talking about, him or the tomato you were flirting with earlier?" Lovey retorted.

Now, it was Madame Blue's turn to be embarrassed. Her face lit up with pink before she turned towards Lovey with an indignant look. "Well, he _was _cute. I had to make a good impression on him," she replied.

"I think you made one on him the minute he walked through the door," Lovey said. "He was practically twisting his tongue trying to talk to you!"

"I do have that effect on people," she replied.

Lovey sighed. Madame Blueberry was always so confident when she'd go out with boys. As for herself, she had the annoying habit of stammering when boys asked her out. It was part of the reason she had a pretty bad love life.

_I will admit that Archie is quite friendly and easy to talk to...and I won't deny that he is incredibly handsome, _she thought to herself. She had no intention of vocalizing it, though. That would only give Madame Blueberry more leeway to tease her.

"Oh, well, I guess it's up to you. What you do with him will be your decision. In the meantime," Madame Blue said, taking all the dishes on a large tray, "I need to get ready."

"For more customers?"

"That...and for the next time that cute tomato wanders into the shop," Madame Blueberry replied, already starting to walk away.

"Are you sure he's even going to come back?" Lovey asked.

"Oh, I know he'll be back!" the blueberry shouted back. "Nobody can resist Madame Blueberry for long!"

Lovey sighed as her friend disappeared through the doors of the kitchen. _I won't argue with that. I can't count the number of boys who wanted to date her..._

Sighing, she picked up her purse and walked out of the teahouse, deciding to head home for the day. After all there, there wasn't much for her to do, anyway.

As she left, her mind couldn't stop wandering onto that handsome asparagus...

* * *

When Archie and Bob arrived at the theater, they were treated to the sight of their boss throwing another potential producer literally out the door. The man in question, a tall rapscallion with purple eyelids, groaned as he picked himself up from his impact with the wall. A couple of seconds later, a large zucchini with glasses and a crop of black hair on his head stomped out of the room. His lips formed a cruel sneer as he glared at the scallion.

"Ha! You, important? That'll be the day. Come back when you're out of film school, kid, and after you've actually made a name for yourself...that is, if someone gives you a name. Who'd want to hire a nameless intern as a producer? Nobody, and especially not me," the zucchini snapped. "Get out of here. You're wasting my time."

"S-Sorry, sir," the scallion said, his voice strained with held back tears. Standing up and picking up his suitcase, he made his way out of the theater, sniffling as he left.

"Pfft, please. That scallion was driving me batty," the zucchini replied. "Anyways, now that he's gone, we can hire _real _professionals to work on this thing."

Archie sighed. "Don't you think that was a little harsh, Mr. Russell?" he asked.

"It's called the truth, Archibald. Not all of it is going to be pleasant," his boss snapped. "I'm sure Bob already told you that I'll be gone for the rest of the day. I have some important business to discuss with a potential client."

"Could that 'potential client' work for one of your illegitimate businesses?" Archie questioned, his eyes quirked downwards into a frown. "Or is it for the mob again?"

Eddie glared at Archie, which the asparagus returned coolly. "I'd suggest you mind your own business, Mr. Asparagus. I don't see Bob asking me any questions about my daily outings," he said.

"That's because he respects you enough, Mr. Russell. And technically, your business is my business," Archie said. "If word gets out that you're into illegal undercover work, it could mean the end of your precious theater company, which is, if I recall correctly, the only legitimate business you have. I know you don't want to end up in jail, am I right?"

Eddie looked like a bomb about to go off. He gave the asparagus a hard glare before saying, "You've got guts, Mr. Asparagus, unlike the tomato who pretty much follows whatever I say. But let me make myself clear: you expose my business deals, and I'll expose your not-so-squeaky-clean family history. Sounds like a deal?"

This elicited an angry reaction out of Archie. He almost lunged forwards with the intention of grabbing Eddie, and would have done so had Bob not stepped in between them. Eddie still stood there with a mocking smile on his face, which only served to make Archie angrier.

"I'll have you know that-"

"That what? That whole fiasco was just an accident? Yeah, I've heard that before. The Asparagus family is just one pack of nutcases, I tell you," Eddie remarked, shaking his head.

Bob turned towards his boss then. "Seriously, Mr. Russell, that's enough. Blackmailing's one thing, but outright insulting someone's family is something I won't tolerate," he said.

Eddie laughed. "Wow, about time you grew a spine, Bob. I thought you were nothing but a doormat."

"I'll have you know that I'm no doormat!" Bob exploded.

"You could've fooled me," Eddie said. He then looked at the clock, and sighed. "You know, I was wrong when I said that that scallion was wasting my time. You two are wasting my time. I could've been halfway to my meeting by now." He then glared at each of his employees. "Remember what I told you the first day you showed up here: don't let _anyone _find out. I mean it."

With that, he pushed past them and walked out the door. Archie glared at his retreating back until the door slammed shut behind him.

"A-Archie, are you alright?" Bob asked warily.

"No. I don't understand why I even put up with that brute in the first place," Archie replied, walking into the main theater. "He's just too aggressive and has serious anger issues."

Bob couldn't argue on that point. Their boss was very temperamental, going off on people for the slightest of mistakes. He was the main reason why they always went through new casts and staff almost every day, as no one could stand him.

Archie was one of those people. He had been originally tolerable of Eddie's behavior in the beginning, but that all changed when he started abusing coworkers and cutting checks to keep money for himself. The last straw for Archie had been when he learned that Eddie was involved in several illegal activities, especially in the drug cartel business. Eddie had practically beat him into keeping his mouth shut, but Bob knew it was only a matter of time before Archie cracked and told the truth to someone.

What had made Bob angry, though, was the fact that Eddie had actually brought up the terrible incident that had robbed a family of their main source of income, and caused them to go dirt poor. Bob knew that what had happened wasn't Archie's fault, but the fact that Eddie would stoop so low as to blackmail him and then pin him for an accident that he wasn't responsible for had made Bob angry.

"Archie, I told you before that if you didn't want to work for that psycho, leave," Bob replied finally. "That's not so hard to do!"

"Don't forget, Bob. He's got me under his thumb with this 'family secret' thing. If I leave, he'll tell the whole world who was responsible for killing the patriarch of the one of the richest families in America," Archie said.

"Mr. Edward Billington, Sr., right?"

"Right," Archie replied. Then his tone turned serious. "Do you remember the woman who I was talking to in the teahouse?"

"Oh, the lady asparagus next to the blueberry?" Bob asked. "Yeah. She looked quite taken with you, Archie." He then looked at Archie with a confused expression. "W-Why?"

Archie sighed. "Edward, Jr. is her father," he said. "He was there at the court when they took my father to trial. He swore that he would never allow my father's children even five inches near his children."

"And you were just with one of them just now," Bob finished.

Archie nodded.

"Oh...if he finds out that you're seeing his daughter, he's going to kill you," Bob replied.

"First of all, I'm not seeing her. I mean, I-I don't even like her that much!"

"Come on, Archie. Don't lie to me," Bob said. "I know you well enough to tell that you're in love."

"...Was it that obvious?"

"As obvious as my first impression of that really pretty blueberry," Bob remarked. "But seriously, are you going to hire her? I mean, I know that whenever you say 'Do think about what I said earlier', that means you're calling someone in for an interview."

"You should have seen her, Bob. She had just lost her job and her family is struggling to just get by. I wanted to help," Archie said.

"You do realize you're putting yourself into a pretty complicated position, right? That whole family will probably be out for your blood if they discover you're trying to help them," he said. "Does she-"

"No. If she knew who I was, then she would have walked out the moment I said my name. And I'm going to make sure that she never finds out who I am, or how deep our family feud runs," Archie said. He looked at Bob with the most serious expression on his face, as though this secret was between life and death.

"No matter what happens, we must not let Lovey find out. Ever."

* * *

As Lovey was preparing dinner, she heard footsteps come from behind her, loud and heavy. She didn't have to turn around to see who it was.

"What is it, Daddy?" she asked, turning to face him.

Her father, who practically towered over her entire family, looked down at her with a curious expression on his normally serious face. "Is it true?"

"What's true?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Your sister said something good happened today. What is it?"

"Oh...that." Lovey couldn't help but blush. "Well, I ended up having a conversation with a very handsome asparagus today," she said.

"And?" Her father pressed, leaning forward with interest.

"Well, he's a very rich actor, and he works at the theater. I'm sure that you'll like him," she replied.

"You had me at 'very rich actor'. With someone like that around here, he'll be able to help us turn around in no time. You did make sure to mention to him that you were unemployed at the moment, right?" he asked.

Lovey sighed. It was always like this with her father, she knew. Every time she met a boy who was dripping with dollars, her father did everything he could to play on the boy's sympathy points and get his family to lend them money. Of course, Lovey, feeling incredibly guilty, would tell him the truth days later, and the boy would get disgusted by the fact that he was used and broke up with her.

That was the other reason why she had a very bad love life-her family kept messing things up for her by putting their problems above her happiness.

"Daddy...when I met him, he asked me what I did for a living after he said that he was a rich actor, and I explained what was going on," she said, trying to keep the annoyance from seeping into her voice. "He even offered to help me get a job."

"Well, looks like you have your work cut out for you, Lovey," another voice popped in. Lovey had to resist the urge to sigh as her mother walked into the room, obviously to check if dinner was ready. "If he's ready and willing to help, it won't be long before we bleed him dry."

Lovey looked at her parents, utterly shocked at what was coming from their mouths. This sort of thing was what usually coming from her greedy uncle Charlie, not them! They usually had more decency and sense than that!

_If they're bringing stuff like this up, the financial situation must be worse than I thought. Mum and Daddy...what's happened to you?!_

"Mum, Daddy, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Lovelace?" her father replied. He only used her full name whenever he was attempting to sound sincere.

"Do you really care if I'm happy or not?" she asked.

Her parents looked at each other and then at her, looking truly astonished. "Lovey, what would make you say such a thing?" her mother asked. "We want nothing more than for you to be happy."

"Really? Because it sure doesn't seem like it," Lovey snapped, letting some of her pent up anger come to the surface. She glared at both of her parents with hard eyes. "You say that you care, yet you always put yourselves before your own children. Every time Andrew, Lily and I tried to find someone, you would send them out the door the moment you found out they weren't rich. You're trying to sponge off of your own children!"

"Well, that's just absurd!" her mother replied. "We would never do something like that."

"Mum, you and Daddy have lied to our faces millions of times. Why should I begin to believe you now?" Lovey replied. "All you've ever done was make our lives miserable. And even though we all moved out, you pretty much followed us everywhere when you lost your jobs, and the money that we had stored up! You even brought Andrew and Lily back into this mess! They weren't even struggling to begin with and you just had to bring them back, too!"

"That's enough from you!" her father roared, silencing both women. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I can't even have a family conversation without you getting mad at me. All we're doing is staying here until we can find another place and a good paying job. Is that so hard to believe?"

"It is when you've been saying that for the past five years and you haven't shown even a flicker of change, Daddy," Lovey said finally. "Well, it's like they always say: misery loves company."

And with that, Lovey stormed out of the kitchen, the kitchen door slamming behind her. She walked up the stairs towards her room, ignoring the argument her parents were having downstairs. She got into the room and closed the door, locking it.

She couldn't believe her parents, telling her to try to pull that on Archie. She was so mad, she had to resist the urge to just punch something or someone._ They don't understand. They don't understand me at all. They of all people should know that I don't want to do anything to hurt those rich men.  
_

The thought of possibly sponging off of and use Archie made her scared. She had the feeling that if she did, another person like him would never come around again. He was the closest thing she had to a knight in shining armor, and in a moment, he could be gone.

Lovey sighed as she buried herself into the pillows. A dysfunctional family, an unemployment streak and bad with men...she really did have a chaotic life.

And now, she had just pulled Archie into this mess as well.

***~{End of PART 1}~*  
**

* * *

And there's part 1! I hope you all enjoyed, and let me know what you think!

Question: should I write more stories like this, or not? You decide in your reviews!

As for part 2, there should be some Larry/Petunia mentions, as well as more focus on our main couple. Stay tuned!

-God bless, iheartgod175


	2. Part II: Growing Feelings

_(Lovey's POV)_

_I stood outside of the Gold Globe Theater, my heart pounding and my stomach doing loops. On the doors was a large sign that had golden designs on the outside of the paper, and the letters written in red._

_"Costume Designer needed". The words were large enough to be seen from a distance. I can attest to that, because I was about to head to the store to get more groceries when I saw the sign._

_Archie hadn't told me what theater he was affiliated with, but the Golden Globe Theater was the only major theater company around town, so I figured I would take a lucky guess and see if he worked here. He also told me that the job he had in mind was at the theater company, and seemed to be quite interested when I told him about my sewing skills. Perhaps this was the job that he was referring to._

_I wasn't sure why I was here. Ever since last week, I hadn't been able to get Archie out of my mind. It got to the point where I was practically drooling about him every chance I thought about him. I couldn't help it, though. He was incredibly handsome, a gentleman, had a sweet, melodic voice..._

_"Ah, Miss Billington! Fancy seeing you here!" _

_The voice I had been just thinking about snapped me back to reality, and I turned upwards to look at the speaker. Archie was standing there, dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and that same red tie. His face held a slightly surprised and pleased smile. I was sure I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized that he must be pleased to see me._

_"Hello, Archie," I replied. "I was, uh, just about to head to the grocery store when I saw the sign..."_

_"Oh, you mean this one?" Archie turned to the sign on the door. "Ah, yes. I forgot I put it there this morning. Our former costume designer quit the job."_

_"Why?"_

_At this, Archie frowned. "It's because of our boss, Eddie Russell," he explained. "He's a total control freak when I comes to the production of our play."_

_"Oh..well, maybe he's just under stress," I replied. "I mean, producing a play and getting it on stage is very hard work."_

_"If that's the case, he would've died of it by now," Archie said. "He's been particularly nasty lately, threatening other people."_

_I stared at him in shock. What kind of a boss would threaten a man like this? If I worked for him, I would have left the moment he decided to boss me around!_

_Archie looked at me, and his angry expression softened into a smile. "Don't worry about it, Miss Billington. Forgive me for being so rude. I usually never badmouth my boss, but on particular days, I just can't help it. The same thing's happened to Bob as well. He's quite the nice guy, but if things go wrong, you'd better watch his temper," he said._

_"I have no problem with that. I sometimes had to vent about my family and boss as well," I answered. Then I realized that he'd once again called me Miss Billngton. "And I thought I told you to call me Lovey!"_

_"Oh, so we're on a first-name basis now?" he questioned, a slight smirk playing on his expression._

_I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "Why, you...!"_

_"Why, I...?" he asked, the smirk still on his face._

_"You tease!" I blurted out finally, highly embarrassed._

_At once, Archie started to laugh. Personally, I felt as though the ground would swallow me whole. Here I was, making a fool of myself in front of this handsome asparagus and now he was laughing at me. I looked down at the ground in shame, feeling my face heat up dramatically._

_"Oh, don't take it too personally," he said finally, his voice full of mirth, "but you're cute when you're angry."_

* * *

_Iheartgod175 presents:_

***~{Tea For Two}~***

Rating: T (romance and darker themes like drug deals)

Published: May 21, 2014

This Chapter: May 27, 2014

Summary:Archibald Asparagus is a well known theater actor, and in short, the quintessential British gentleman. While chancing upon a recently opened teahouse called The Blue Moon, he meets Lovelace "Lovey" Billington, a kindhearted, impoverished woman who's just trying to make ends meet for her unemployed, unmotivated family. The moment they meet, an attraction quickly sparks between them...but could it all be blown apart when a family feud breaks out? Five-shot. AU (obviously), and Archie/Lovey, with very light sprinkles of BoBerry (Bob/Madame Blueberry).

Author's Note: Here's Part 2. I hope you enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I love, LOVE Veggie Tales, but unfortunately, I don't own the series. If I did, I'm pretty sure that this would be a real episode about how God brings certain people into your life for a reason. Also, Bob/Madame Blueberry (or BoBerry) would be a real couple. But until that day comes, please enjoy what I've come up with. Also, I can't full credit for this idea; this idea was God-given, and Zarosguth's "Tea and Sweets" was the inspiration for this. So this is dedicated to the both of them.

* * *

***~{Part II: Growing Feelings}~***

Lovey's eyes snapped upwards to face Archie, staring at him with wide eyes. _Did...Did he just say that I'm cute? _She was sure that her face was about the shade of Archie's tie because of how furiously she was blushing.

Archie himself looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe what had just popped out of his mouth. Then again, he thought, there is some truth to those words. She was quite cute when she wasn't angry...scratch that, she was beautiful, and on top of that, easy to talk to. That much he'd learned from his encounter with her last week; normally, he wouldn't have been very keen on talking to someone like her, as misery loved company. Yet, even though she had a pretty rough patch to go through, she didn't let that get her down. She remained as cheerful as she could be, something that Archie would never have done on his own. And now? He couldn't help but notice how cute she was when she was angry.

What was wrong with him?

"Um...Archie, are you alright?"

Archie snapped out of his reverie, and blushed slightly as he realized that he'd been staring at her. "O-Oh, uh, forgive me. I was lost in thought," he said.

"That's alright, " Lovey answered cheerfully. "That happens to everybody."

"How are things?" he asked. "Since I haven't seen you in a while..."

Lovey sighed. "Unfortunately, I still haven't found a job. None of the jobs I've applied for have called me back to interview me," she replied. "Mum and Daddy are kind of upset over the bills and my siblings...well, they could be faring better, I suppose. But as for me, I'm doing well. It takes a lot to get me down."

"With all that's been happening to you, I'm surprised that you're still cheerful," he said.

"One of the things that my parents taught me was to be strong, and even thought it looks like I'll be in a situation for a while, I stay true to who I am. That's something that I'll never lose," she explained. "I've always been a cheerful, kind person. And that's just what I'm going to be for the rest of my life."

Archie stared at her, amazed. "I think you are one of the strongest people I've ever known," he said, "even more so than me."

Lovey laughed. "Oh, no, Archie! I wouldn't go that far as to say that!" she said. "I'm not terribly strong. I can be weak-willed at times, and-I hate to admit this- a doormat."

"I highly doubt that. Most vegetables I know would crack under pressure if they ever went through this," Archie replied. "But you...you haven't crumbled at all. You're a very strong woman, Lovey. I mean that."

Lovey blushed. It was amazing at how well he could do that to her. "Why...thank you, Archie. I appreciate that a lot," she answered.

Archie smiled. "It was nothing."

"No, it was something, Archie. You and Madame Blueberry are the only people who have said nice things to me this whole week. My parents have been blaming me for their problems, and my siblings are belittling me. You two are the only friends I have right now," she explained. "So please. Don't say that it was nothing, because what could mean nothing to you could mean the world to someone else."

Archie stared at this woman in front of him. He had never, in all his life, had someone give him advice before, and a woman at that. For some reason, that only seemed to draw him to her more. For a moment, he felt that he could get lost in those violet eyes and that sweet smile of hers...

SLAM!

The door suddenly slamming open nearly sent Archie flying out of his suit. Lovey's wide eyed expression told him that she was just as starlted as he, and they both turned to see what had caused the disturbance.

Bob the Tomato stormed out of the door in a huff, throwing his clipboard to the ground. His body was turned to the speaker, but his body language, and his tone of voice, was enough to tell both asparagus that he was angry.

"You of all people should know what I'm doing! I'm doing what I should've done a long time ago!" Bob tossed a few other items, such as a large stack of papers, into the hall as well. Papers rained everywhere, some of them flying right back out the door due to the wind. "I quit, Mr. One-Man-Show!"

Footsteps sounded from down the hall, and the other door flew open. Eddie Russell came into view, his eyes wild expression dangerous. Lovey couldn't help but look away from the man. He looked like a feral animal.

"You can't just leave!" he roared, causing people on the street to stop and stare at him. "You have a contract!"

"Well, that contract is null and void, Russell. I'm out of here, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," Bob said. "Good luck finding a top-rate producer for your play, because you certainly won't be getting good recommendations from me!"

With that, the angry tomato hopped down the stairs with his briefcase in tow, not even acknowledging Archie or Lovey in his anger. As he left the building, one of the carrots whistled in amazement.

"Wow...and tomatoes are supposed to be calm?" he remarked.

"Mind your own business!" Eddie snapped. He turned to Archie. "Archie, get in here. Now."

Archie turned to Lovey, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Sorry, Lovey, but I've got to run. Duty calls, unfortunately," he said, and started to head towards his boss.

"Wait! Archie!" Lovey called.

Archie stopped, turning around slowly. "Yes?"

"I...uh...I-I'll stop by later to see what job you have for me, r-right after I go shopping, of course," she replied. She looked up at him with a nervous expression. "Y-You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course I don't!" he replied. "I'm more than happy to help you out!"

Lovey smiled, relieved. Then, noticing that Eddie Russell was standing there staring at her, she quickly made her way off towards the market, joining with the hundreds of people during the afternoon rush.

Eddie watched her leave, and then turned towards Archibald, who was also watching her leave. "Who was that woman, Archibald?" he asked.

Archie snapped out of his reverie, and turned to face Eddie. "O-Oh, that's Miss Lovey Billington, sir. She's a very charming young girl with whom I enjoyed getting to know," he explained.

"Yes...charming," Eddie said darkly, his expression mirroring that of a predator's. He then turned towards Archie, a smug smirk on his face. "Well, this will certainly complicate matters. It'll only be a matter of time before she finds out your family, and the unsavory relations they have with her family."

"That is something that I will never allow her to find out," Archie said.

"Unfortunately for you, she'll have to find out sometime. You've already asked about her family, so she might do the same as well. And if you two are getting serious, well..." Eddie leaned close, his eyes narrowed and expression smug. "You'd be prepared to deal with Billington."

"I can only hope that things don't come to that," Archie replied. "At the moment, we're just friends."

Eddie scoffed. "Yeah, and I'm a terrific boss with great recommendations from my employees."

"You know that's a lie."

"And so is this 'just friends' thing with that Billington girl. If I were you, I'd keep my distance from her. You'll suffer the consequences if you don't," Eddie said.

"Since when do you care for my well-being, Russell?" Archie asked, one eye raised questioningly.

"Since never," Eddie sniffed. "But I know for certain that that girl is bad news."

"For me or you?" Archie said.

Eddie glared at his employee for a long moment, his blue eyes two chips of ice. Then without another word, he headed up the stairs. "Just get up here. Since the tomato left, we have a lot of ground to cover."

Feeling somewhat satisfied at having made his boss unnerved, Archie followed him up the stairs.

* * *

The silver bell hanging over the door jangled wildly as someone slammed the door open, letting a gust of cold air blow into the shop. Madame Blueberry was attending to a full table with customers when she felt the chill come from the open door. Shivering, she excused herself to head over to the entrance when the door shut closed with a bang.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, only to be greeted by Bob the Tomato standing in the middle of the room. He looked slightly out of breath, as though he'd run all the way there. What startled Madame Blue the most was that he looked angry. Very angry.

"Um, are you alright?" she asked warily.

Bob sighed. "No. I'm actually really ticked off right now," he said. "Sorry if I caused some disturbance."

"Oh, no, it's, uh...it's no trouble at all," she replied. "You could do with a cup of tea. Sit over there and I'll be right with you after I tend to these customers."

Bob nodded distractedly as the blueberry left to attend to a full table. He sighed as he walked over to the table near the window, dropping his suitcase onto the floor. He wished he had hands, because right now he needed to bury his face in something. He felt very embarrassed and foolish that he had brought his anger at his boss into the shop. Now the one person who would be willing to hear about his problems would probably not want to talk to him.

"I decided that a black tea would work well for you today."

Bob's eyes snapped upwards to see Madame Blueberry put a tray on the table. Two steaming cups of black tea sat before them, and there was a small tray of finger foods, such as scones and small sandwiches. He stared at her in surprise as she sat in the chair opposite of him, a concerned look on her face.

"Are you alright, Mr. Tomato? You looked like a mad bull ready to charge earlier," she inquired.

Bob sighed. "No. I actually had a really bad day at my job," he said. "It got to the point where I pretty much walked off the job."

Madame Blueberry's eyes widened. "What happened for you to do that?"

"My boss was, to put it lightly, being a jerk. First, he piled on tons of work for me to do on top of my regular job. That really wasn't a problem, but then he said that because he's going to have to cut my paycheck in half because of the production costs," Bob answered bitterly. "And on top of that, he won't give credit where it's due. He planned on taking all the glory for himself, while Archie and I barely get any mentions at all."

"I can see why you're so angry. If I were you, I would've walked off the job as well," Madame Blue said, drinking her tea.

"Even then, I'm still really unhappy at the same time. I left my best friends there to deal with that tyrant on their own. I'm 90% certain that if I'm not there, stuff's going to go down," he said.

"Well, care to tell me what's the big deal?" Madame Blueberry chuckled when she saw Bob's suspicious expression. "Don't worry. I won't tell anybody."

Bob sighed. He usually didn't like telling secrets like this to anybody, especially the truth about his boss. But for some reason, he felt that he could trust Madame Blueberry with this, and that she wouldn't hold this fact over his head as Eddie had done.

The fact that he was attracted to her was part of the reason, but he wasn't really ready to admit that...yet.

Looking over to make sure nobody was listening in, he leaned in closer and dropped his voice lower.

"My boss, Eddie Russell, is involved with the drug dealing business."

* * *

When Lovey returned home from the grocery store, she found her older sister Lily standing there in the middle of the hallway, a smug look on her face. She looked at her younger sister with a confused look on her face.

"What are you looking so smug about?" she asked.

"I saw you with that asparagus, sis," Lily said.

Lovey looked at her sister with wide eyes. "When?"

"When I was heading to the corner store to pick up some snacks for Andrew, since you were taking forever," she replied. "I saw you two talking in front of the Golden Globe. He looks quite taken with you."

"What? Are you crazy?" Lovey huffed, putting the groceries on the table. "The two of us are just friends."

"That's what you always say when you meet some handsome stranger. The next thing you know, you're dating," Lily said. "Don't you think I know your little game by now?"

Lovey sighed, and turned towards her sister with an exasperated look on her face. "Okay, so I do like him. A lot, in fact. I just don't Mum and Daddy all over my case again," she said. "You should've seen what happened last week."

"No hard feelings, sis. I heard it all from the kitchen."

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

"Well, it's not my fault that you were talking so loud!" Lily sighed. "Honestly, I'm not deaf, Lovey."

"I know you're not. I just can't believe that my parents were trying to get me to sponge off of him. I would never do something like that to anybody. I want someone to love me for me, not for my situation," she explained.

"And that's completely understandable," Lily agreed, "but you kind of forgot one thing: Mum and Dad will use every possible trick in the book to make you do what they want."

"That's not going to happen this time. I will not follow my parents up on this hare-brained scheme to take Archie's money for ourselves. They really don't get the fact that every time we do this, we end up having less money than ever," Lovey said.

"Hey, it's not their fault that you keep falling in love with rich men," Lily replied. "But my personal advice would be this: go for him. It's obvious that you two have something going. If he makes you happy, you deserve to be happy. I would want nothing more than to see my little sister be happy."

Lovey smiled. She had always counted on her older sister and brother for advice, rather than her parents as they were habitual liars. Her sister knew the ups and downs of love; she herself had fallen in love with a rich man, only to have her heart broken when it turned out he was cheating on her with someone else.

Lovey could only hope that her growing relationship with Archie wouldn't be that complicated...

"Thanks, sis. I appreciate it," she said.

"Now, how serious is he about giving you help, Lovey?" Lily asked.

"He was quite serious about it when I first brought up the fact that I'm unemployed. In fact, I'm supposed to meet with him later in order to discuss which positions are available..."

"This could also be the chance to prove that you're a great actress, Lovey," Lily said enthusiastically."It's been years since you've been in a play."

"He didn't say anything about the acting parts," Lovey replied, "but he did tell me they're in need of a new costume designer."

"Even better. You're just as good at making costumes as you are at acting," Lily said. "Oh, and next time you see him, bat your eyelashes at him. That'll really get him flustered."

Lovey laughed, shaking her head as she walked towards the front door. "I'll keep that in mind, Lil."

* * *

Archie's day went by pretty quickly, despite the loads of work that he had to do. He would have noticed it sooner were he not so distracted.

Tucked away in his small, messy dressing room, he did his best to work on his lines amidst the blaring instruments and the singing taking place upstairs. The musical they were going to perform, _Lettuce Love One Another, _had about 13 songs in it, four of which he'd have to sing with his co-star, a rather temperamental scallion named Miss Acmetha. Archie assumed that her bad attitude was because of Eddie Russell's tyrannical behavior, but he later came to see that she was annoyed with just about everything.

He normally wasn't one to judge, but he seriously wondered what Eddie was thinking casting her in the female role. Personally, he would have preferred Larry's girlfriend, Petunia, to be his on-screen love interest, or maybe even find another female asparagus for the role. But he knew he couldn't do that. He knew very well that the one person that he would be happy about doing the role with would be Lovey.

The moment his mind wandered to her, he set the script down and leaned back in his chair, sighing. Ever since last week, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. She was sweet, kind, and though she was going through a pretty bad position right about now, she remained in good spirits about that. Plus, she was quite beautiful, and adorable when she blushed, which was pretty often due to him being quite the charmer.

Yet, there was something else about her that made her seem so...mesmerizing. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he enjoyed listening to her and was stunned to see her offering him advice. His mind wandered back farther than that when he remembered the proposition he'd offered her.

_What was I thinking back then? Well, to be honest, I don't know if I was even thinking at all. I just wanted to help her, like any good gentleman would do for a woman like her. And I did promise her I would help her find a job. _

_If I were Eddie, I would get rid of Miss Acmetha and replace her with Lovey. If I could do that, I could work with her the whole day, and then actually hold conversations with her without being interrupted by everyone else. Maybe we could even take the next step and start a relationship...  
_

Archie shook his head violently. _That's not your first concern, Archibald Asparagus! Your first priority will be to get Lovey a job!_

Once more, his mind wandered back to the unemployed woman he'd met last week, and the look on her face when he'd said he'd help her find work. He also remembered what he said to her before Bob had walked in the door.

_"I would hate to see you unhappy again."_

"I still have no idea why I said that..." Archie muttered. Leaning forward in his chair, he reached for the script book, intending once again to study his lines. But even now, he could only think of Lovey, and how her face had lit up when she said that she wanted to be an actress. He felt as though his stomach was filled with butterflies, and his heart was pounding slightly.

_Bob's right. I _am _falling in love with her. _

_I just hope that it's not one of those one sided loves...  
_

It was just then that the door opened, and a cucumber walked in, wearing a black leather jacket, a jazz hat and a beige shirt underneath. His smile was cheerful and bright as he walked over to the asparagus.

"Hey, Archie!" he started, his cheerful voice never failing to bring a smile to those around him.

"Hello, Larry. I take it that practice is going well?" Archie asked.

"Yep! Petunia and I are just starting to finish up the last few scenes. Afterwards, I hope to take her out to dinner." Larry chuckled as he caught Archie's suspicious glare. "And before you ask, you don't need to worry. I'm not taking her to The Flying Biscuit."

Archie sighed. "Thank goodness. I was hoping you would actually pick something different for a change," he said.

"I've gone all out this time. This time, I arranged for a romantic meal for two at the most fancy restaurant in town," Larry replied.

"You mean, La Rochelle, right?" Archie asked.

Larry nodded. "The same. It took out most of my paycheck, but for Petunia it's worth it," he explained. "Oh, by the way, I heard about what happened to Bob. I was wondering when he would finally leave Eddie for good."

"If Eddie keeps up this treatment of the staff, he's not going to have much of one left," Archie replied. "I'm going to have to put out more 'X Wanted' signs at this rate."

"Speaking of which, there's a girl who wanted to see you. Something about you having a job for her," Larry said. "I told her to wait at the front door while I came to get you."

It took only a second for Archie to recognize who he was talking about. "Ah, I know just who you're talking about! Don't worry about it, Larry. I've got it covered," he said.

With renewed energy, Archie leaped out of the chair and ran out the door, displaying an eagerness that Larry hadn't seen in years. The cucumber looked at the still-spinning chair and then at the exit.

"Geez, he sure was excited for some reason," he muttered.

"Cucumber! Get back up here! You're needed on stage!" Eddie Russell hollered from below.

Larry sighed. "Coming!" he shouted as he left the office.

* * *

Madame Blueberry's eyes were wide as Bob finished his tale. She could see at once why Bob would be quite angry about Eddie's behavior: not only was he secretly bringing in illegal substances to the city, he was also responsible for a terrible incident that was now pegged on an innocent family. She had told Bob to tell the police right away, but he refused, saying that Eddie could retaliate if he did.

"But Bob, someone deserves to know! You can't let a crime boss go walking free! That's...that's just unthinkable!" she said.

"He _threatened _to hurt the people I love, which means my friends and family," he said_. Not to mention you, too, Madame Blueberry, _he added mentally, though he didn't dare vocalize it. "That's a risk I'm not willing to take."

Madame Blueberry sighed and stared into her cold tea. They had been talking so fervently that they'd pretty much forgotten about the afternoon tea she had prepared for them, but she couldn't bring herself to eat anything after all that Bob had just told her.

"Bob..."

"Yes?"

"What if Eddie finds out you told me, and then he decides to send one of his fiends after you or me?" she asked.

Bob looked into her eyes then, and Madame Blue was surprised by the fire that burned in his eyes. One didn't need to be a rocket scientist to see how determined and angry he was.

"I will never let something happen to you, Madame Blueberry. If one of Eddie's goons tries to go after you, I'll protect you at all costs. That's a promise," he said.

"You...you really mean that?" Madame Blue asked softly, feeling her face flush suddenly.

Bob smiled. "I do mean it, Madame Blueberry. I'm a tomato of my word, and I'm going to keep it."

"When you put it that way..." Madame Blueberry blushed, smiling shyly. "You sound as though you're my knight in shining armor."

Bob blinked, and then blushed heavily at this. "U-Uh, I wouldn't really say that..."

Madame Blueberry giggled. She was having way too much fun just teasing the tomato. "So...if you're not busy, Bob, I was thinking of something..."

"Like what?"

"Like, maybe...if you want to go to dinner or a movie this weekend," Madame Blueberry said. "I wouldn't mind if you chose either one~"

Bob chuckled. "Well, Madame Blueberry, you more or less took the words right out of my mouth. This weekend, I could do with a breather," he answered.

"So...?"

"So, yes, I would love to go to the movies, and to dinner. I mean, why not do both?" he replied when he saw Madame Blue's surprised stare.

"You do have a point there," Madame Blueberry said. "So, I take it that this is a date, then?"

"Yep. A firm date," Bob replied. "Saturday at seven will be a good time for you, right?"

Madame Blue nodded. "It's more than good. It's perfect," she said.

Bob nodded, and then he leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek. He smirked slightly as he heard the blueberry gasp slightly at his sudden, bold action. When he pulled away, he was met with a stunned, starstruck face.

"I look forward to seeing you on Saturday," he replied. "You won't regret it." Apparently enjoying the lovestruck look that plastered her face, he walked out of the restaurant with a smirk, leaving the proprietress sitting at the table.

Madame Blueberry would have remained there had she not heard a lady shout, "Hey! Where's the tea I ordered twenty minutes ago?!"

"O-Oh my! Coming!" Madame Blueberry jumped off the table and ran into the kitchen. "Please forgive me for the poor service!"

As she rushed to prepare the tea, she let out a small squeal of excitement at the prospect of going out with the handsome tomato of her dreams.

_Wait until Lovey hears about this..._

* * *

"Sorry about the delay, Lovey," Archie apologized for the umpteenth time as he led Lovey up the steps to his office. "I usually try to answer the door at all costs, but I was, uh, busy rehearsing."

"No need to apologize, Archie. I'm just glad that you're actually helping me get a job," she replied. "So, what positions are open?"

"At the moment, we have the costume designer, make-up artist, the scenic designer, the hairdresser, and the producer. I don't think I've mentioned this before, but Bob was to be the producer of the play right before Eddie messed things up," Archie answered.

"Ah...well, out of all those positions, I think about three of those would work for me," Lovey admitted. "I know how to do hair, makeup and costumes, but as for the scenic designer...I'm no artist. And I think I would do terrible as a producer."

"What makes you say that?"

"Being a producer means you have to supervise everyone and make sure that the film is going the right way. But I usually tend to stay away from huge responsibilities like this, as I'm afraid that I'll mess up," she explained. "I think that's something I've picked up from my brother..."

"Lovey, can I offer you some advice?" Archie turned towards her then with a serious expression. "No matter what you do in life, you will face failure. The only way you succeed is if you learn from your failures and keep going ahead. That's how you become a true success. Do you really think that I'd be a famous actor just by performing success after success? No. I've had some pretty major flops. People criticize my acting. I even hated a few of the plays we did. But as you can tell, that didn't stop me. Quite the opposite in fact. I stood up, took the criticism to heart, and tried again."

He then looked her in the eyes. "Do you see what I'm saying to you, Lovey?" he asked.

Lovey nodded. "You're right. I have to be willing to accept failure in order to get success," she said. She looked up at Archie and smiled. "Thank you, Archie. I really needed that."

"You're welcome, Lovey," he replied.

Just then the doors to the stage room opened and two people walked out. The first one Lovey recognized as Larry, but the second was a red-haired rhubarb who wore a pink shirt and a brown long coat. Before they turned to head out of the theater, Larry turned to see the two asparagus.

"Hey, Archie! We're leaving! Tell Eddie we'll be back early tomorrow morning!" he called.

"Alright, I will! Enjoy your date, you two!" he said.

As they left, Lovey turned to Archie. "Those two are together? I never thought that a cucumber and a rhubarb would...you know..."

"Petunia? Oh, she's a wonderful girl. One of the best actresses in the Golden Globe theater, she's been here since it first opened a few years ago," Archie explained. "It's quite funny how odd couplings happen around here. Larry started out as an understudy, and she was already rising to fame. Bob's a well-known producer, and Madame Blueberry's a proprietress of a teahouse. And then...there's us."

Lovey looked up at him in surprise. "U-Us? Archie, there hasn't been an 'us' at all! I mean, I understand what you mean about Larry and Petunia, and Bob and Madame Blueberry, but-"

Lovey's sentence was stopped short when Archie gently, but firmly pushed her up against the wall. Every nerve in her body felt as though it were on a livewire as Archie leaned in closer to her, allowing her to smell his breath. It smelled like mints and chocolate.

"A-Archie...like I said, t-there hasn't been an us..."

"After today," he breathed, "there will be."

Lovey found no strength left in her to protest as Archie closed the short distance between them with his lips.

***~{End of PART 2}~***

* * *

Just to let you know, Larry/Petunia won't really appear in this story as a main pairing. It'll come and go as a mention. BoBerry and Archilove, however, will get focused on.

What happens after Archie kisses Lovey? You'll have to see in Part 3! Stay tuned, and please R&R!

~God bless, iheartgod175


	3. Part III: Complicated Matters

_(Lovey's POV)_

_It had been a while since I was kissed, but I knew for sure that every man I had dated never kissed me quite like that: so suddenly that it leaves you practically breathless and unable to even think properly. _

_Any normal woman would have slapped him across the face with the force of a bullet train...but a part of me had wanted this for the longest time, and now it was finally happening. My body felt like it was on a livewire as I eagerly returned the kiss. Archie moaned, and pressed me against the wall to deepen it.  
_

_We remained like that for a long time until the need for air forced us to break the kiss. I opened my eyes, and stared into Archie's chocolate ones, trying to find a hint of regret or uncertainty in them.  
_

_The only thing that I found in his eyes were amazement and love. _

_"Wow...that's just...I mean...wow," I said finally. I really couldn't find anything more to say about what had just happened. I mean, the man I'd fallen in love with a week ago had just kissed me as though his life had depended on it.  
_

_And to be honest, he was a great kisser._

_Archie blinked as though waking up from a trance. "Oh my...I don't know what just came over me," he said. "I'm sorry...I just..."  
_

_"Please, Archie. Don't be. I...I needed that as well," I replied.  
_

_Archie looked at me questioningly, and I rushed to explain. "W-Well, to put it another way...ever since last week, I wanted you to kiss me. I wanted someone who would love me for me, not for my situation. You...you're the only person who's been there for me," I said. I swallowed deeply, and then I said, "I...I love you, Archie."_

_Archie stared at me, eyes wide with surprise and, if you looked closely, horror. Before I could ask what was wrong with him, someone beside us cleared their throat._

_"Well, this certainly complicates matters, doesn't it, Archibald?"  
_

_I thought I would melt into a puddle of shame as I turned around to face Archie's boss, Eddie Russell._

* * *

_Iheartgod175 presents:  
_

***~{Tea for Two}~*  
**

Rating: T (for romance, slight violence, mentions of crime, and character death)

Published: May 21st, 2014

This Chapter: July 8th, 2014

Summary:Archibald Asparagus is a well known theater actor, and in short, the quintessential British gentleman. While chancing upon a recently opened teahouse called The Blue Moon, he meets Lovelace "Lovey" Billington, a kindhearted, impoverished woman who's just trying to make ends meet for her unemployed, unmotivated family. The moment they meet, an attraction quickly sparks between them...but could it all be blown apart when a family feud breaks out? Five-shot. AU (obviously), and Archie/Lovey, with very light sprinkles of BoBerry (Bob/Madame Blueberry).

Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long. I've got many things to do...anyway, here's Part 3~

Disclaimer: I love, LOVE Veggie Tales, but unfortunately, I don't own the series. If I did, I'm pretty sure that this would be a real episode about how God brings certain people into your life for a reason. Also, Bob/Madame Blueberry (or BoBerry) would be a real couple. But until that day comes, please enjoy what I've come up with. Also, I can't full credit for this idea; this idea was God-given, and Zarosguth's "Tea and Sweets" was the inspiration for this. So this is dedicated to the both of them.

* * *

***~{Part III: Complicated Matters}~***

Archie moved away from Lovey, his eyes filled with irritation and anger at the interruption he'd just had to experience.

"What do you want now, Eddie?" he breathed out. His glare could have melted steel.

"Well, I was coming back to see if you were ready to finally rehearse for your lines, but yet I find you in the hall kissing your greatest rival," Eddie replied. "Honestly, Archie, I told you she's not worth it."

Lovey looked from Eddie to Archie. "Archie? What's he talking about, I'm your greatest rival?" she asked.

"I-I-It's nothing. Don't listen to a word he's saying," Archie reassured quickly. He glared at Eddie. "Stop filling her head with ideas, Eddie."

"Hey, I'm just trying to warn her before she gets hurt," he said. With a mock salute, he walked out of the hallway. "I expect you to be back on in five minutes."

As the door shut, Lovey turned towards Archie with a very curious stare. "Archie, what's he talking about?" she asked, her stomach gripped with doubt.

"Really, Lovey, it's nothing you need to worry about," he answered. Compared to earlier, he was much more subdued and somewhat agitated.

Lovey was about to ask again, but her rational side told her that it wasn't a good time to ask. She swallowed her question, and replied with,"Alright, if you're sure."

"I'm very sure," Archie replied, relieved that she had stopped asking him questions. "Come with me. I have some applications for the job of costume designer."

Lovey sighed, and followed the male asparagus to his office. Around her, she could hear the actors singing, and loud banging as the backup crews were dancing around on stage.

Archie was busy trying to recover from the shock of having his boss interrupt a very intimate moment between him and Lovey. To be honest, he didn't know what he was thinking when he suddenly grabbed her and kissed her with enough force to push her against the wall. He was normally much more sensible than that, but...a completely different side of him had taken over at that point, one that didn't care about reason.

"Um, Archie?"

Lovey's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned towards her with a very pleased expression. "Yes, Lovey?"

"I think we just passed your office."

Archie stopped, and realized that he'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he'd completely missed their destination. After laughing nervously and apologizing, to which Lovey responded with "That's alright", he led her back to his office, where the door was halfway open. He frowned as he saw that the lights were off.

"Funny. I usually lock my doors when I leave my office," he mused. "And the lights were on when I left."

"Did someone turn them off when you came to see me?" Lovey asked.

"I guess Larry did," he answered. "He's always doing stuff like that."

When Archie turned on the lights, a strangled yell of shock escaped his throat. His office was a whirlwind, what with his script all over the floor, and costumes ripped to shreds. The lightbulbs looked as though they were broken, and his mirror was cracked. The makeup tools were all over the floor, and his chair and desk were nearly destroyed.

"T-This is horrible!" Archie declared. "Who would do such a thing in such a short amount of time?"

"Did you make any enemies while you were here?" Lovey inquired.

"I'm not sure, but whoever did this is an enemy now," Archie seethed. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this, right here and now!"

"Archie, wait a moment!" she cried, and grabbed him just before he spun on his heel and ran out the door. "What about my job?"

The fury on Archie's face melted slightly, but only for a moment. He sighed heartily. "Lovey, I'll find a job for you once I calm down and think. My mind is a whirlwind, and I don't do well thinking when my mind's like that."

"Ah...I see. F-Forgive me for being impatient. It's just, my family is quite demanding, and they can be quite mean-spirited when you get down to it," she replied.

"I can imagine," Archie breathed, harsh memories coming to mind.

_"What did I ever do to you?" _

_"You took away our only source of income, you entitled brat! You've left us with nothing while your money-hungry uncle stole our money!"_

_"You don't understand! That wasn't me; it was-"_

_"Not another word out of your mouth!"_

"Archie!" Lovey called. "Archie, are you alright?"

For the third time that day, Archie snapped to attention. "Y-Yes I am," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You look like you're going to cry," she answered. "Are you absolutely sure that nothing is wrong?"

"Yes, I am. You needn't worry about me. You have enough to trouble yourself with," Archie replied. "You go home. I don't think I need to draw the ire of Eddie again...or Miss Acmetha."

"Miss Acmetha?"

"Oh, she's my co-star in the movie. Don't let her soft appearance fool you. She can be quite short-tempered," he said. "And she tends to be quite persnickety."

As if on cue, the doors that led to the theater slammed open, the noise sounding like the hallelujah chorus. A tall, thin female scallion with brown hair and a twitchy left eye stood at the top, her face set into a scowl.

"Archie! You've been down there for ten minutes and Eddie said you'd be on in five! Ditch that asparagus and come on!" she shouted.

Lovey looked appalled at having been referred to in such a manner, but Archie merely responded with a sigh of annoyance and resignation. "Coming, Miss Acmetha," he answered. He turned to Lovey. "Sorry, Lovey, but duty calls, unfortunately. Give my regards to your family."

"I will. Plus...I really hope that we get to spend time with each other after this," Lovey remarked. She blushed slightly. "You're such a gentleman when it comes to these things."

Archie smiled. "Thank you for the compliment, Lovey."

"Archie..." Eddie's voice had a warning tone to it.

"The exit's down the hall, down the stairs and to your left," he whispered so she could hear. "I'll catch up with you later!"

Lovey giggled, and made her way out of the office. She had to admit, she was quite surprised to see different sides of Archie. Then again, she thought, every single vegetable can't be an angel all the time.

As she walked down the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder who had destroyed Archie's dressing room, and why...

* * *

Archie made it up the stairs to be greeted by Miss Acmetha, who was practically glaring at him. "Well, it's about time you came up here!" she cried. "We've been waiting for you nearly half an hour ago."

"Uh-huh," he replied distractedly. His mind was racing on many things, mainly concerning with his room being destroyed by an unknown vandal. He was also angry at Eddie for having interrupted Lovey, and for feeding her suspicions about him.

Miss Acmetha watched him with thinly-veiled concern. After taking in his face, she asked, "Are you alright?"

"Swell," he answered curtly.

Miss Acmetha didn't seem concerned, but just before she could prod him further, Eddie jumped in.

"If you're done stewing in your own anger, we're ready to start rehearsals for real now," his boss said.

Archie put on one of his best dazzling smile. "Sorry about that. I'm just a little distracted, that's all," he said.

"Did you remember your lines?" Miss Acmetha asked.

"Of course," Archie said as he took his position on stage. "I just hope you remember yours."

"Alright, enough bickering!" Eddie cried, sitting in the director's seat. "Places, everybody! It's time to start to start!"

* * *

The minute Lovey walked out of the theater, she knew that she was in trouble.

"So, you're involved with _that place_, are you?"

She turned, slightly annoyed, to see her older brother (or as she liked to call him, her older bother) Andrew Billington leaning against the building. He was dressed in standard punk rock clothing, if the black leather jacket with the skulls and metal chains were of any indication. His hair, which was a sandy brown tone like their mother's, was dyed bright neon green with black stripes, and was done up in a mohawk that was nearly half a foot tall. Lovey thought that he looked ridiculous, but Andrew called it expressing himself.

Her older brother leaped away from the building as though it had burned him, and turned towards her with an indignant look. "Don't act like you don't know what's going on. I saw you going in there," he said.

"Are all of you this nosy?" she asked.

"We have no choice but to be, ever since Mum and Dad told me that you lost another job," Andrew spat bitterly. "Of course, they put St. Andrew to make sure that my little sister isn't in going to any bad business." He let out a derisive laugh. "It's amazing, isn't it? Not even a week after losing your job and you're already getting into trouble."

Lovey sighed. "You know, older brothers are supposed to help, not criticize," she answered.

"Criticism _does _help, believe it or not," Andrew said. "I should know; I publish poetry for a living."

"And your poetry, apparently, hasn't gotten you much money," Lovey retorted.

"Hey, what can I say? It's hard becoming a self-published poet," Andrew said, shrugging.

"Anyway, what are you doing here, other than trying to prevent me from possibly getting a job that I like doing?" Lovey inquired.

"Nothing much. Mum and Dad more or less told me to stalk you when I got back from _The Raw Onion._"

Lovey sighed. "You know that Mum and Dad told you not to go to that place anymore," she said.

"Says the girl who's standing on cursed ground," Andrew snapped.

Lovey looked at him with a curious expression. "Cursed ground? Wow, Andrew, Lily told me that you hated the Golden Globe before, but to hear you call it 'cursed ground' makes it sound like you have some sort of grudge," Lovey noted.

"Of course I would have a grudge against this place!" Andrew yelled, startling a few random veggies. "A murder was committed here twenty years ago!"

For the first time in a very long time, Lovey couldn't bring herself to argue. She looked back at the large theater, with its towering, spinning golden globe, and back at her older brother, who looked torn between crying and hurting something.

"Andrew? Is there something about this theater that I don't know about?" she asked quietly.

Andrew looked at her, and an emotional whirlwind met Lovey's eyes. Anger, sadness, guilt, and revenge were clearly seen in the young man's eyes, which were reddening with tears. Before Lovey could open her mouth to speak, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You know what? Forget I said anything," he said finally. "Go work at that place if you want to. But don't say I didn't warn you."

With that, he started walking away from her. Lovey snapped out of her daze and gave chase. "Andrew, wait!" she cried. "What is it about this murder that you don't want to tell me about?"

But her older brother refused to answer, instead picking up his pace and disappearing into the crowd faster than Lovey thought possible. The bewildered lady asparagus could only stare in disbelief as her brother's mohawk disappeared, her mind running on what he'd just told her.

"What did he mean, this was cursed ground?" she asked herself. "Archie never mentioned that when I came to work here."

It then occurred to her that Archie hadn't mentioned much of the Golden Globe when she had first come there...and that he hadn't told her much about himself either. She then realized that she didn't really know much about Archie, and she felt suddenly furious about having put a lot of trust in him when they'd first met each other.

_How could I be so blind to what's staring me in the face? Archie is keeping something from me, and I bet it has something to do with that murder that happened here in the theater!_

With renewed conviction, she turned right back around and marched into the theater. She had more than a few questions to ask Archibald Asparagus.

* * *

Lily nearly jumped out of her chair when Andrew slammed the door shut, and his heavy steps resonated throughout the house. After calming her pounding heart, she sighed. Someone or something had just made her brother very angry. That meant that she was the one who had to calm him down, as her parents couldn't calm him when he was hulking out.

Putting down _The Catcher in the Rye,_ she made her way into the kitchen, where she knew Andrew would be at, more than likely grabbing a can of ginger ale. Sure enough, he was standing there, downing the entire can in one gulp, some of the brown liquid dribbling down his chin. She sighed again as he tossed the can in the trash and popped open another one.

"So, what's got you all in a tizzy?" she asked, leaning against the wall.

He didn't answer at first, as he was busy downing the drink. He paused to get some much needed air, and then burped. Without even saying "excuse me", he turned towards her and scoffed. "What's it matter to you?"

"Well, when my younger brother comes up to me all in a huff, I do my best to calm him down. That's what sisters do," Lily stated, as though it were obvious.

"Great, my own older sister is oblivious to what's about to break loose over our heads," Andrew breathed, raising his can into the air as though saying, 'I give up'. "Then again, you don't really care about what she does, unlike me and-"

"Whoa, whoa, time out," Lily interrupted, a troubled look on her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Like I said, what's it matter to you?" he retorted.

"It matters to me if you're talking about something about to break loose over our heads!" Lily cried. "Andrew, tell me what's going on!"

"What now?" Both siblings froze as their father walked into the room, his eyes red and expression grouchy. He looked at both of them with groggy eyes. "I thought my two kids would know by now to stop squabbling while I'm sleeping!"

"S-Sorry, Dad," Lily muttered.

"Save it. What I'd like to know is what the heck is going on. I was trying to get some sleep before you started bothering me!" their father yelled.

Father and daughter turned towards Andrew, who currently found his can of ginger ale much more interesting. After taking a short gulp of it, he turned towards his father.

"It's about Lovey, Dad. She's gotten herself into trouble," he said finally.

"What do you mean, she's in trouble? You should have told us this from the get go!" his father roared.

"Andrew, did something happen to her?" Lily asked, horror in her voice.

"Yes, something did," he said. He looked upwards to see their shocked faces, and then he sighed. "She's planning on working at the company which ruined our lives...all for a man who's our greatest enemy."

* * *

"Miss Billington, I believe that Mr. Asparagus is rehearsing right now-"

"Tell him to get up here, now! And tell him it's someone he knows."

The carrot looked ready to say more, but he found himself cowering under Lovey's gaze, which could have melted steel in a skyscraper. Gulping audibly, he stammered out, "R-Right away, Miss Billington," and took off running down the hall towards the auditorium.

Lovey sighed as she watched the door slam shut behind him. She hadn't meant to be rude, but when told that Eddie Russell had denied all access to visitors, she wouldn't hesitate to get a little aggressive should her needs not be met.

She was still mulling over what Archie could be possibly hiding from her when the asparagus, followed by the carrot, came out of his room, looking slightly annoyed and tired, as though she'd interrupted him in the middle of a very important musical number. When he saw her, his annoyance melted away into a sincere, sweaty smile.

"Ah, hello, Lovey," he greeted, taking a towel from the carrot. He quickly wiped his face off. "I must admit I'm quite surprised to see you."

When she didn't answer him, he then took the time to actually look at her face. When confronted with an angry expression, he realized he had a problem on his hands.

"Um, is something the matter?" he asked quietly.

"What's the matter is that you've been keeping secrets from me this whole time!" she exclaimed.

"Keeping secrets? Lovey, I don't know what you've heard, but I have nothing to hide from you," he argued feebly.

"Oh, I'm sure something as ghastly as _murder _would be considered nothing, right?" Lovey snapped.

Archie looked horrified, angry and nervous all at once. "Lovey, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent with me! My brother Andrew told me about how this place was cursed ground! He told me that he hates the Golden Globe Theater because there was a murder here. It seemed to deeply affect him on a personal level, because I could see how emotional he was..."

"Lovey, your brother is obviously delusional," Archie said. "If there were a murder here, do you think that the Golden Globe Theater would still be open?"

"Of course not! But-"

"Then I don't see why you're getting worked up over something that's clearly a rumor!" Archie yelled, startling Lovey. Turning away from her hurt and angry expression, he turned to the carrot behind him. "Show her out of here, Stevenson. I don't want her to come back here ever again."

The carrot looked at Lovey nervously, and then back at Archie. "S-Sir, that's not such a good idea..."

"And why not?" Archie snapped.

Stevenson squawked, and seemed to shrink under the asparagus' glare. "Uh...well, she more or less threatened to interrupt rehearsals herself if I didn't let her in..."

"Well, that's not going to happen tonight," Archie said. "You have your orders, Stevenson. Show her out."

"Y-Yes, Mr. Asparagus..." Stevenson swallowed again, and made his way towards Lovey. "Miss Billington, if you would please..."

Lovey was too angry to even listen. Her tear filled eyes were locked on Archie, who refused to even look at her. With a repressed growl, she turned towards Stevenson.

"Mark my words, Mr. Asparagus," she began, her voice colder than midwinter, "I will get to the bottom of what's going on, even if I have to get my hands dirty to do so."

Archie tried to and failed to repress a shudder at the coldness of her words, but the moment he turned around, she was already walking out the door. Stevenson stood where she had been moments before, and winced as she slammed the door behind her.

"W-Whoa...and you fell for a girl like that, sir?" he asked.

"I don't want to hear about her anymore," Archie said sourly, heading back towards the auditorium. "You just do your part and make sure that she doesn't find out about my secret. I've kept it for a long time up until now, and I'm not going to let her ruin everything."

"Sir, now you're starting to sound like-"

"Like Mr. Russell, right?" Archie's tone had turned a bit nasty. "I could care less if I do. What's more important to me right now is making sure that nobody finds out my secret."

"But, sir!"

"I don't want to hear another word about this Stevenson! Now if you will excuse me, I have a rehearsal to finish!" he snapped. Without looking back at the carrot, he walked away, storming down the hall and passing Miss Acmetha.

"Archibald, what's going on?" she asked.

"It's nothing. I'm alright," he breathed, though his tone spoke otherwise.

"Archie, if there's anything I can do, please-"

"I said I'm alright!" Archie yelled. "Why must all of you keep pestering me?!"

"Because you're not telling any of us the truth."

Archie froze upon hearing that voice. He turned around slowly, willing for it not to be true. "It can't be..._you..._"

"Unfortunately for you, it is me." Edward Billington, Jr, accompanied by his wife Mabel and his son Andrew, stepped into the hallway. his face was set into an accusatory glare as he stared down the actor. "I thought you would have more than enough sense to adhere to the agreement my father made in court."

"You're still holding me accountable for something that I never did?!" Archie shrieked. "I'm telling you, what happened to you wasn't my fault!"

"Not your fault my foot!" Andrew, eyes wild and teeth bared, lunged forward, catching Archie unawares and sending him flying into the other side of the hall. Miss Acmetha screamed, a shrill, echoing sound that made everyone jump when they heard it. A series of rushing footsteps came from the auditorium, and Eddie Russell burst out of the room, looking ready to hurt someone.

"What is going on out here?" he roared, only to freeze when he saw Archie laying on the ground, and Andrew hovering over him, panting heavily. He looked upwards to see the rest of Andrew's family and smirked. "Well, well, well. Looks like you did more than just complicate matters, Archie. You just revived a family feud."

Archie sat up, glaring at Andrew and the rest of the Billingtons before he turned to Eddie. "Shut up," he breathed.

"Oh, I don't think I'll stop there," he said. "I think it's time Lovey knows what her knight in shining armor is really like. Where is she? I figured she would be right here, glued to you."

"You snake." Mabel's death glare could have killed Archie a million times over. "First you ruin our lives, and then you set out to corrupt our daughter as well? Edward was right. The Asparagus family has no shortage of psychos."

"You know how your dressing room was destroyed, right?" Andrew spat. "That was me. It was a warning for you to stay away from my sister, or else you'll get the same treatment that your room got. Looks like I should have just skipped the room."

Archie was appalled, but Eddie shook his head. "There's no need to even fight back, Archie. We'll deal with these fools soon enough," he replied.

"Don't think that we'll stop fighting for justice. You may have escaped the law once, Archibald Asparagus, but you _will _get what's coming to you. That I swear to," Edward Jr. declared, with all the conviction of a judge. He turned towards his family. "Let's go. We need to find Lovey and tell her the whole story, like Eddie said."

"I'm not going anywhere," Andrew whispered, his breath ragged. His gaze was fixed on Archie. "I'm going to kill him, right here and now, after all he's done to us."

"Andrew Billington, you will do no such thing," his father snapped. "You won't do a single thing unless you know what's good for you." His tone turned nasty at that last sentence.

With a loud sigh, the older son of the Billington family turned around to face his father, but he turned and gave Archie another glare. "This isn't over," he said coldly. Then, as if they were in a military infantry, they all marched towards the exit in a single file line. For the tenth time that day, the doors slammed shut.

Not a word was uttered after the dramatic exit that had taken place. Miss Acmetha looked down at Archie with a stricken look on her face, her lips curled up in mild disgust. The actor himself trembled slightly, unnerved by the Billington's threats and the thought of Lovey finding out his secret. behind him, Eddie Russell didn't move, save for a small smirk on his face. Then he sighed and made a 'tsk tsk' noise, catching the attention of the overwhelmed actor at last.

"What did I tell you, Archie?" Eddie started, the hint of a derisive laugh in his voice. "That girl was really nothing but trouble."

And for the first time in a long time, Archie agreed.

***~{End of Part III}~***

* * *

Yeah, things got super dramatic in this chapter. What secret is Archie hiding? And what of this ancient family feud that Archie got caught in?

All will be revealed in part four, which is going to be much longer and suspenseful than last time! As always, reviews are awesome!

God bless, Iheartgod175


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